Bang & Olufsen's Beo Grace ANC Earbuds Cost $1500, Justified Or Tone Deaf?
Look away, cash-strapped folks (yours truly included), Bang & Olufsen has unveiled the new Beo Grace ANC earbuds with an MSRP of $1,500—yes, that's M4 MacBook Pro money. There's little doubt that these buds sound amazing, but for that many buckaroos, the Beo Grace caters to a specific clientele that values craftsmanship as much as cachet.
Let's run through what the Beo Grace is and perhaps comment below if you think the price is justified. The charging case, for instance, looks rather me-too, but it's water resistant with an IP54 dust-water rating (the earpieces are IP57). When connected to a source via USB-C or line-in, the case can serve as a wireless streamer for gaming consoles or in-flight audio. Bang & Olufsen says that the case (and the buds) have some of the longest-lived batteries in the business, claiming 2,000 charging cycles for both.
The earpieces themselves look pretty sedate, with internals that, at least on paper, doesn't seem all that special. Of course, tuning and algorithms are the special sauce that can make something truly special. Hardware-wise, the buds are equipped with 12mm titanium drivers with a frequency response of 10Hz to 20kHz, which is pretty solid. The company claims four times more effective ANC, Dolby Atmos support, and audio presets in the app (although there's no mention of a customizable EQ).
One of the most unique features is a control system called NearTap that allows users to adjust volume and settings with a simple tap in front of their ears, similar to what we've seen on Sony's Linkbuds.
Looking past those niceties, however, and certain aspects begin to weaken the price to value/performance proposition. For something that costs five times that of a set of Apple AirPods Pro 3 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), things like battery life and Bluetooth protocol can prove to be major negative points.
For one, a factory-rated playback time of just 4.5 hours (ANC enabled) falls behind competitors that offer up to two to three hours more per charge. Likewise, the total battery life of 17 hours for the charging case is admittedly pretty weak when others regularly have a full day's worth of juice. Another downer is the lack of support for more high-res audio codecs, such as LDAC, aptX Lossless. Right now, the Beo Grace settles for AAC, SBC, and LC3 (with Auracast compatibility).
Bang & Olufen's Beo Grace is available for preorder right now, while deliveries are expected in November 2025. The company also offers a leather carry pouch to protect your purchase as long as you're willing to fork up another $400.
